I sat in a queue to see a doctor for a check-up. A young mother with a kid on her lap was waiting too. It looked approximately a month old. I’m not a mind reader but, I could tell with certainty that the kid was her firstborn. She didn’t look well too. She looked depressed. I got curious. “Is she a victim of Postpartum Stress Disorder (PTSD)?”, I wondered.
That question led to another, “What causes PTSD?” So, I did some research and this is what I discovered. Causes of PTSD include hormonal changes. After giving birth the level of estrogen and progesterone hormones drop from tenfold to normal in three days. This sharp drop can lead to depression and wreak havoc to a new mother’s body. Other causes are social and psychological. Past traumatic events and experiences such as rape, physical abuse, childhood abuses, difficult pregnancy, and fertility treatments. Substance abuse like bhang can also cause PTSD after birth. Let’s see what this means and what you can do about it.
What is Postpartum Stress Disorder?
It is a mental illness that affects mothers after birth. Although this mental illness or mood disorder as is sometimes referred to, affects new mothers, it can affect new fathers as well.
This disorder has a myriad of symptoms that vary from one person to another. But they include; feeling of deep sadness, irritability, depressed, feeling overwhelmed, anxiety, lack of sleep, oversleeping, overeating, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of self-injury or harming the child, panic attack, and unable to concentrate.
With proper medication, however, this mental health condition can be treated with success.
What Causes Postpartum Stress Disorder?
Scientists have said that there are many causes and triggers of PTSD. The genetic makeup of a mother can make her more prone to getting this disorder after birth.
Stress is another factor that can lead to this mental illness. Mothers who are stressed about family matters, their health, work-related issues, and finances are more likely to get PTSD after giving birth.
Hormonal fluctuations also play a role in this. After giving birth, maternal hormones like estrogen and progesterone hormones take a dip from a very elevated level. This sudden change of chemicals in the body shocks it. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine are affected by instant hormonal changes. In turn, this triggers mental health issues namely postpartum depression.
Childhood trauma as child abuse can also trigger this disorder. Giving birth itself is a change in a new mother’s life. This event can trigger a floodgate of mental, emotional, psychological, and social changes in your life. Newborns are always disruptive as they require care all the time. It is demanding for new mothers. This increases their stress levels and changes their sleep patterns — a conducive environment for depression.
Who is at a high risk of experiencing PTSD Symptoms?
In all mothers, approximately 9% of them experience postpartum disorder after giving birth. The illness is caused by imagined or real trauma in time of delivery or after. Some of these traumas comprise:
Unexpected C-section, use of forceps to deliver the child, when the baby is put in the incubator, lack of social support, poor communication between the medics and the mother, women who experienced past traumas like rape, domestic violence are also likely to experience PTSD.
Difficulties during birth can also expose mothers to mental illness. Some of these problems range from an unexpected hysterectomy, perineal tear, serious postpartum hemorrhage, injury linked to pregnancy, cardiac disease to serious preeclampsia (elevated blood pressure).
Factors that increase the chances of PTSD
a. A record of depression before pregnancy — Those with a medical history of depression and psychiatric illnesses are more likely to get postpartum disorder after birth.
b. Younger women are more likely to get PTSD as their bodies have never experienced such epic changes before. Teen pregnancies are more likely to end the mother in a PTSD state.
c. Subsequent pregnancy is more likely to cause depression as you increase the number of children in the family.
d. Limited or lack of social support. Where there is little or no reassurance from close family members or trained counselors.
e. If one is living alone — the new mother has no one to confide in her fears, concerns, and worries. No support system of close family members.
f. Living in a hostile or violent-prone home — after the stress of giving birth, a mother needs a safe and warm haven to recuperate in peace. When exposed to more external stress, it pushes her to the edge and makes her more prone to PTSD illness.
g. Unplanned pregnancy — the mother is concerned about her support after giving birth, worried about the future of her newborn and all these take a toll on her mental and psychological well-being.
h. Struggling with addiction or substance abuse — if the mother is using drugs during pregnancy, she is exposing herself to postpartum mental illnesses.
How to Treat and Manage PTSD
The most effective way of treating postpartum depression is therapy. The use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy works well for these patients. It helps them understand their symptoms and re-learn how to adopt ways of relaxing. They are trained to work on their negative behaviors and thoughts.
PTSD therapy’s goals include:
- Recover from the symptoms
- Show you ways to deal with it
- Bring back your confidence
Their interpersonal therapy helps them to know that their good relationship with others can improve their situation for the better.
Careful medical treatments are considered to ensure that the child is safe from its mother’s milk.
Individuals who experience this mental illness are prescribed antidepressants medicines. Some common classes of drugs include;
1. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
2. Tricyclic Antidepressants and Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs).
3. Serotonin/Norepinephrine/dopamine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs).
4. Antipsychotics or Second-Generation Antipsychotics (SGAs)
Some commonly used brands include the following;
· Wellbutrin
· Prozac — Fluoxetine
· Paxil — Paroxetine
· Effexor — Venlafaxine
· Zoloft — Sertraline
· Celexa
· Cymbalta
In some scare cases, stronger medications are recommended. This helps the mother to get stable faster so that they can begin therapy. Yet, this cannot happen if they are breastfeeding as this will affect the baby.
